Sunday, March 29, 2015

Mystery Photo... Winnebago, MN... Maine Family?

This mystery cabinet card photograph comes from Winnebago, Minnesota... a great multi-subject photo, it has remained unidentified in my genealogy collection.



Unknown Members of the "Maine Family"

I obtained this mystery photo over 20 years ago... it is some how connected to the Maine family who lived near Winnebago. This particular photograph ended up with Maine descendants in North Dakota.

The Lathrop & Pierce families were related to the Maine's and lived nearby... it is possible that this photo could include some of them.

Hopefully someone out there has this same photograph in their collection or recognizes some of the subjects... It would be great to finally identify these people after so many years. 

Thursday, March 26, 2015

TBT Photos of Yesteryear- William Weerts

Spotlighting photos from my extensive photo archive... 
today it is my Great-Great Uncle William "Willie" Weerts 



William Weerts


William Weerts [1898-1976] was born in Iowa to German immigrant parents, the 7th of 10 children. Later in life, in 1958, he was married to a widow Ella Wolfgram Hanna until her death in 1965. Suffering from Parkinson's Disease, he died at the Truman Lutheran Retirement Home in 1976.

Thursday, March 19, 2015

TBT Photos from Yesterday- Clifford & Ellen Nelson

Clifford & Ellen Nelson



Spotlighting weekly photos from my extensive photo archive-
 my Great-Great Uncle and Aunt 
Clifford & Ellen Nelson


Clifford Nelson & Ellen Aarhus


Clifford Nelson [1903-1981] was born in rural Freeborn County, to John C. Nelson & Nelsine Bendina Anderson... he was older brother to my Great-Grandma Laura Nelson Maine.

He spent his early years in rural Albert Lea, MN before moving to Richland County, North Dakota around 1915.

Thursday, March 12, 2015

TBT Photos of Yesterday- Grace Kottschade

Grace Kottschade & Walter Wermter with Alice

Spotlighting weekly photos from my extensive photo archive- today it is Grace Kottschade & Walter Wermter with daughter Alice. Grace is the first cousin of my Grandfather.


Walter & Grace (Kottschade) Wermter with daughter Alice

Grace Illa Kottschade [1924-1989] was born in Home Brook Township, Cass County, Minnesota the daughter of Vernie Maine & Louis Kottschade. She married Walter Wermter [1917-1981] in 1942 and their daughter Alice Mae [1942-1976] was the first born of 3 daughters, before their 1950s divorce.

As the granddaughter of Ralph & Minnie (Cole) Maine, Grace is a descendant of many very early colonial settlers, and comes from a large well documented family.


Wednesday, March 11, 2015

William Weber... 149 years old

William Weber




William Carl Weber was born March 11, 1866 in Hollis Township, Peoria County, Illinois. He was the second child born to Charles & Johanna (Schadt) Weber, his older sister Mary dying the year before he was born.

William married Jacobina Krumholz in 1894 and they lived in Illinos before moving to Martin County, Minnesota in the early 1900s. Owning and operating the Weber Station until his sudden death on January 31, 1932.

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Lost Photo... Wiberg sisters- St. Peter, MN

I recently spotted this great photo at an antique shop... From a Fergus Falls, Minnesota photography studio, 


Christine, Anna, Martina, Elna
Wiberg


On the backside someone has written  
"Christina, Anna, Martina, Elna    Wiberg"

After a big of brief research, it appears that these young ladies eventually lived in St. Peter, Minnesota.

It would be great to find a descendant of one of these sisters who would appreciate this fine photo!

-=-==-=
A little further research, in hopes of finding a home for this photograph. These 4 young women are the daughters of John Wiberg, a native of Sweden, who eventually settled near St. Peter, MN.

Research of marriage records finds that-
Christina married Frank Wylie
Anna married Swante Randahl
Martina married Nels P. Johnson
Elna married Gust Thelander

[update 4/30/17- This photo has  been reunited with a relative!]

Thursday, March 5, 2015

TBT Photos of Yesteryear- Ida Weber Dube

Ida Weber Dube

Spotlighting weekly photos from my extensive photo archive... 
today it is my Great-Great Aunt Ida Weber Dube


Ida Weber Dube

Ida Josephine Weber [1905-1987] was born in Silver Lake Township, Martin County, Minnesota, the 6th of 9 children born to William & Jacobina (Krumholz) Weber. Married to Harold Dube, they lived in Fairmont, MN for many years. Ill with Parkinson's Disease in her later years, she died at the Truman Lutheran Retirement Home.

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Mystery Photo... Ellen Carlson of Cass County, MN

Ellen Carlson



This photo was in an album belonging to my Great-Grandmother... She was a great collector of photographs... which is wonderful!  However, she would paste her photos in albums with no rhyme or reason... photos of her family, her husbands family, neighbors, friends, church members... you name it, they all share a page!

Luckily, I was able to ask her the identities of many of the photos... though this fine portrait however never was truly explained....

"Aunt Ellen"  Ellen Carlson


When I showed it to my Grandfather, he said "Oh, that's Aunt Ellen"... "Well, we called her that, but she wasn't really our Aunt".

I had family of two different Great-Grandparents settle in rural Cass County, Minnesota (and they often trickled over into Crow Wing County as well). Many different, far flung relatives ended up settling there, especially during the 1900s & 1910s. Many not blood relatives, but relatives of kin by marriage, etc.

After Great-Grandma passed away, I inherited her collection of funeral programs... among them was one for Ellen Carlson... born March 14, 1879.... died February 14, 1965

Doing some brief census research, I find that Ellen was born in Sweden and it appears that she arrived in the USA in 1881 (as a young child). The first census I find her in, is the 1910-- where she is living in Cass County, with Annie Hagen. This is most interesting, because my Great-Great Grandmother was a Hagen. Annie Hagen was born in Norway (as was my Hagen Grandma)... now Hagen is not an uncommon Norwegian surname... but the coincidence is strong....

I'm going to have to do some more research and see if this Annie Hagen is indeed a "relative" or not... but I'm pretty certain "Aunt Ellen" is of no blood relation... They were living together up through the 1930 census, but as Annie was 77, it seems she passed away by 1940. 

As both remained unmarried, I don't expect to stumbled upon any descendants... but perhaps someone out there can claim "Aunt Ellen" as their own!